UN chief welcomes dialogue between two Koreas

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has welcomed the dialogue between North Korea and South Korea, saying it was "encouraging that two countries agreed to hold talks.

"It is encouraging that the two countries agreed to hold another round of high-level talks" on the margins of the closing ceremony of the Incheon Asian Games, Xinhua reported citing a statement issued by Ban Ki-moon Saturday.

The UN chief also reiterated his hope that the parties concerned will continue to build positive momentum toward a peaceful and denuclearised Korean peninsula, it said.

Three officials of North Korea - Hwang Pyong So, Choe Ryong Hae and Kim Yang Gon - were in Incheon to attend the closing ceremony of the 17th Asian Games.

Officials held talks with their South Korean counterparts, including top presidential security advisor Kim Kwan-jin and Unification Minister Ryoo Kihl-jae.

The dialogue was the highest-level meeting between the two countries since South Korea President Park Geun-hye took office in February 2013.

During the meeting, the officials agreed to hold the second round of high-level talks between October and November.